Did I Pick the Wrong State to Be Born In?

What the ****! I love Minnesota. OK, I know the taxes are high, etc. But we have a vibrant business climate that seems recession proof due its economic diversity.

But I didn't expect to see us get ranked among the bottom states for being "business friendly."

This from the Microsoft Small Business site.

The 10 friendliest in 2003
1. South Dakota
2. Nevada
3. Wyoming
4. New Hampshire
5. Florida
6. Texas
7. Tennessee
8. Washington
9. Michigan
10. Mississippi

And, at the opposite end of the scale, the 10 least friendly:

The 10 least friendly in 2003
51. District of Columbia
50. Hawaii
49. Minnesota
48. Maine
47. Rhode Island
46. California
45. New York
44. Vermont
43. New Mexico
42. Oregon

I'll concede that these are numbers from 2003. Anybody who ever grew up poor (I'me from the bottom, upper, middle class and have no right to complain) has said at one time or another, "Oh, we were poor as dirt, but we didn't know it."

Well, that describes doing business in Minnesota. Taxes hurt. That pain is what makes us so strong. We can take some solace that there are states that rank 49th in education spending and in fact also rank 49th in educated populace. Minnesota may be inhospitable to business, according to a Microsoft freelance writer, but at least we achieve at a rate well beyond the burden and hurdles the state throws at us.

Oh, special thanks to Gov. Tim Pawlenty for wielding the veto pen like a mighty sword, slaying the tax dragon sent by the Legislature.

NewBizMinn

(nfp)

P.S. Mom, Dad, Couldn't you have had me in South Dakota? Perhaps Strandburg or even Milbank?